Page 116 of A Dance of Water

Footsteps, and a rustle. "Give it to me," Osa demanded.

Luella jumped slightly but held the bundle of clothes out, crossing her legs and banding an arm over her chest to preserve her nudity.

The gruff maid helped her dress. Luella felt silken undergarments in her fingers. She pulled the panties up her hips and fastened the clasp of her brassiere, stifling a gasp when Osa helped her into a pair of…pants.

They were a form-fitting leather, sticking to her skin uncomfortably. Luella tugged at the waistband.

"Must I wear this?" she asked softly.

"The King demands it," Osa replied as if that were answer enough.

Blessedly, her blouse was billowy. Osa wrapped a thick but comfortable corset around her, tugging it tightly. Luella exhaled sharply, feeling the bones of the corset cut into her ribs.

She sensed Osa step back, a low hum under her breath.

"All done," Osa said. "I hope the King or anyone else does not take advantage of your state"—Luella knew the female referred to her blindness—"it would be a shame for misfortune to befall you."

"I-is that a threat?" Luella’s voice shook.

A pause.

"A warning," said the female.

The horse shifted under Luella, and she tried not to shake from the sound of the rain drowning everything out, leaving her feeling utterly isolated.

The roar of the water was deafening. Her hands fumbled with the reins, slick with water and numb from the cold. Though she wore a thick cloak over her clothes and a hood over her head, that didn’t stop her from being drenched after their ride.

Gloved hands pressed on her lower stomach, keeping her steady as the horse shifted again, jostling her and Graves both, where he was behind her. She felt his breaths against her nape, even through the folds of her cloak—felt his heat against her back. His scent burned her nostrils, stronger than normal. She wanted to fold herself into him.

But she was not afforded such luxuries, nor was he the male to turn to for such simpering niceties.

The threads around her soul were a sharp reminder that she was not alone. She felt each of the five males around her. If she strained her ears hard enough, she could hear the faintest hoofbeats over the roar of the rain and the rustle of the leaves in the treetops.

Luella turned her head, her hood sliding back slightly and allowing the rain to pelt her misted cheeks. She sniffled, reaching up with a numb hand to right her hood. But the male behind her beat her to it. Silently, Graves righted her hood for her, tugging it back over her head. He pressed a hand against her nape and forced her head down to protect her face from the wet chill.

Her breaths were even. Her body was sore. And her mind was spinning.

They had been traveling for what felt like hours. Over the droneof the rain, it was hard to speak, so talking was limited, save for Vale or Tharen barking directions and orders of what paths to stay away from due to the muddy, waterlogged terrain.

She was not sure how they expected her to be able to focus in such severe weather, but she had no choice…

The bargain had been struck. Her promise to Tharen was written in her blood, the mark on her chest. She could not undo it.

His words lingered in her mind…Anytime you feel desire—no matter who you are with—you will appear before me.

She shuddered, Graves tightening his hold on her as the horse followed a sloping, curving trail.

His stubble scratched her cheek as he pressed his lips close to her ear and whispered, "Are you okay?"

"I am," she lied, wondering if he even heard her.

Graves hummed against her skin, making her whole body tingle. "No, you’re not, sweetheart." His name for her was something only for them, whispered in the quiet, warm space of their shared breaths, the rain drowning it out.

She moved her head against him, her lips brushing his cheek. She pulled away with a soft blush warming her rain-soaked skin, her chin dipping to her chest.

She wondered what those keen eyes saw on her face right now. She had hidden much from many, but found that she could hide nothing from him. He knew things about her she did not even know, herself.

Did he still watch her? It had been some time since she had glimpsed the raven; she found herself missing the black feathers now more than ever, knowing she would not be able to see them.

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